tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81042532017-11-16T01:43:20.672-06:00The Hum of DesperationDavid Johnsennoreply@blogger.comBlogger1611125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-74407396957997583272015-07-26T21:27:00.001-05:002015-07-26T21:27:56.417-05:002015 Books Part V<b><i>Dying to do Letterman: Turning Someday into Today</i></b> by Steve Mazan - I chose to read this book in honor of David Letterman's impending retirement, which shows how far behind I am in reviewing books this year (his last show was May 20). Mazan gets a dire medical prognosis and channels all his efforts into realizing his dream of performing stand-up on Dave's show. It's a good memoir about trying to succeed as a comedian. I never knew how much the show's staff worked with comedians to select and tweak jokes for their routines.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga</i></b> by Paul Shaffer with David Ritz - Who doesn't love Paul Shaffer? (Robin Sparkles <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.S._I_Love_You_%28How_I_Met_Your_Mother%29" target="_blank">sure did</a>&nbsp;in one of my favorite <i>How I Met Your Mother</i> episodes.) This is a fun book to read because Shaffer has done so many things in his career. He loves showbiz, and he loves telling stories about his favorite stars. I expected more about working with Letterman, though. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Why Does E=mc<sup>2</sup>? (And Why Should We Care?)</i></b> by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw - Never having taken a physics class, I struggle a bit with relativity. I think I get it, but barely. This book has drawn me a few steps further from dropping off the edge of understanding.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Around the Weird in 80 Days: Adventures in Small-Town America</i></b> by Rich Smith - I enjoyed Smith's first book, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1FOM8Aj" target="_blank">You Can Get Arrested for That</a></i>, in which he and a friend visit America with the goal of breaking ridiculous laws. In this book, he participates in unusual events across the United States such as a reenactment of the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Summer Redneck Games, and the World's Longest Yard Sale. It's entertaining, although he overuses just-kidding fantasies as a literary device. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0757316271&amp;asins=0757316271&amp;linkId=AO5GHSQV5KTI7EUT&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; &nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0767928865&amp;asins=0767928865&amp;linkId=NRI3NMAH5ADVZIIA&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0306818760&amp;asins=0306818760&amp;linkId=I2O4RK664RARJ3U5&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0593059425&amp;asins=0593059425&amp;linkId=MOZDCGKTFBKSHC3D&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-38676640445396843172015-07-05T16:55:00.000-05:002015-07-06T15:55:40.220-05:00Worst "World Watch" EverSorry this is late, but I just got around to reading last week's (June 28) Chicago Tribune Travel section.<br /><br />I regularly read the "World Watch" column even though I have no intention of traveling overseas (I've been to 48 states but I've never been outside the USA) because I often learn things that I haven't heard about in the regular news. But the June 28 installment is not particularly useful. It's <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-0628-world-watch-20150624-story.html" target="_blank">behind their pay wall</a> (I have a free six-month pass) so you'll have to settle for my summary:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <li>Mexico: Don't go over a fence into a restricted area or a crocodile might attack you,*</li></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <li>England: Hay fever is bad so bring your allergy pills.</li></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <li>Italy: Don't pee atop the Florence Cathedral or you might get arrested.</li></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <li>Greece: Carry lots of cash because of the banking crisis. Or don't carry lots of cash despite the banking crisis.</li></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <li>India: Don't drink bootleg liquor because it could contain chemicals or pesticides.</li></blockquote>Okay, so obey warning signs, bring allergy meds if you have allergies, don't pee where you're not supposed to, bring extra money or don't, and don't drink cheap booze. Only an idiot learned anything from reading this column. Even worse for a column that highlights problems in specific countries around the world, all of this obvious advice is independent of location.<br /><br /><br />* <span style="font-size: xx-small;">The columnists (Larry Habegger and Dani Burlison</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">) admit that the story of a drunken American doing this sounds like a Darwin Award.</span>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-43310268366280431202015-07-05T16:47:00.000-05:002015-07-05T16:48:46.774-05:00Is this because the Grateful Dead are in town?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R2wHKHuUroY/VZmlSJaSa2I/AAAAAAAAf4I/Zcqh2njXDag/s1600/Screenshot_2015-07-05-13-32-15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R2wHKHuUroY/VZmlSJaSa2I/AAAAAAAAf4I/Zcqh2njXDag/s320/Screenshot_2015-07-05-13-32-15.png" width="180" /></a></div><br />I only wish I had taken that screen shot at 4:20.David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-1902418747458501202015-05-23T13:37:00.000-05:002015-05-23T13:37:44.350-05:00I Am a Terro-istWe've had more ants in our house than usual this spring. They created an ant superhighway along our kitchen counter to the sink. If I reached up to the cupboard wearing a loose shirt, a few would hop on. Eventually, I started thinking every little itch I felt was an ant crawling on me. Before I went insane,&nbsp;I decided it was time to end this. It was time for Terro Ant Killer.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jblfskuVDtc/VWDETOZeT7I/AAAAAAAAe9w/rP-P09jOAQM/s1600/IMG_20150520_090731203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jblfskuVDtc/VWDETOZeT7I/AAAAAAAAe9w/rP-P09jOAQM/s320/IMG_20150520_090731203.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Look at those poor bastards lapping up that sweet, deadly sauce. Within two days, our ants have virtually disappeared.David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-8374517422563333092015-05-22T14:36:00.001-05:002015-05-22T14:36:49.081-05:00ScrapedThey scraped the deteriorated asphalt off our street this morning to prepare for resurfacing. This will be the second time our street has been repaved since we moved in, and that makes me feel old.<br /><br />We've owned this house for 17 years. I <i>am </i>old.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBKalqeZ-kE/VV-DnFu8JQI/AAAAAAAAe9c/PWdkpAtZfwk/s1600/_20150522_121844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBKalqeZ-kE/VV-DnFu8JQI/AAAAAAAAe9c/PWdkpAtZfwk/s320/_20150522_121844.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Confession: the main reason I am posting this is because those machines are really cool and I was excited to photograph one in front of our house.David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-18430327551573225362015-05-19T10:41:00.001-05:002015-06-11T03:15:41.416-05:002015 Books Part IV<b><i>The Gospel According to The Fix: An Insider's Guide to a Less Than Holy World of Politics</i></b> by Chris Cillizza - I rarely read about politics these days because so much is dreadfully slanted (both ways), but this is a pretty good book that doesn't choose sides. It's about politics itself rather than ideology. Although it was published three years ago, the material has a longer shelf life than most books about politics (the opposite of what one might expect from a political blogger). <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>How to Get Divorced by 30: My Misguided Attempt at a Starter Marriage</i></b> by Sascha Rothchild - This quick and funny read has a clever format: 30 chapters as "steps" such as "Date a Jerk in Your Early Twenties", "Resent Each Other", and "Marry an Actor". I bought this during Borders' pre-bankruptcy glory days, when each store had a slightly different collection of recent $2.99-$3.99 remainders and sometimes they would be on sale for only $1 (as on the receipt tucked into this book). <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Among the Truthers: A Journey Through America's Growing Conspiracist Underground</i></b> by Jonathan Kay - The title is misleading. It's about conspiracy theories in America more generally and mentions a lot of groups.&nbsp;I expected to read more about the Truthers as people, but Kay includes just a few character sketches.&nbsp;Much as Anti-Semites blame the Jews for all the world's problems, Kay blames Anti-Semites for all conspiracies, which I find rather dubious. From the clever cover design I expected this book to be more entertaining, but it took me a long time to plow through it.&nbsp;<b>3 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Where Is the Mango Princess? A Journey Back from Brain Injury</i></b> by Cathy Crimmins - This heart-wrenching memoir is by a woman whose husband was run over by a boat in Canada and recounts his recovery. Although he was rather successful in becoming functional again, he was not the same person he was before the accident. Everyone thinks of brain injury affecting memory, but personality can change as well. Crimmins had a tragic life, medically. She wrote another book a few years later about her daughter's medical problems, and then she died at 54 due to surgery complications. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0307987094&amp;asins=0307987094&amp;linkId=ZUD6H5HPTP4CI7MD&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;</iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0452295998&amp;asins=0452295998&amp;linkId=MYTMR2DJPVN4KPTB&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;</iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0062004816&amp;asins=0062004816&amp;linkId=EDZDCO3AQPJQMLFN&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;</iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0375704426&amp;asins=0375704426&amp;linkId=2WTO3EZEM4QE35VT&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;</iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-65920343119152102612015-04-07T02:05:00.000-05:002015-04-07T02:12:42.488-05:002015 Books Part III<b><i>This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession</i></b> by Daniel J. Levitin - I wanted this to be a five-star book. I love music and I enjoy books about the brain. But somehow this didn't quite work for me. Levitin begins with a lesson on music theory, but I never really "got it" and struggled through the book.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Ticket to Ride: Lost and Found in America</i></b> by Sarah Darmody - Aussie Darmody wins the visa lottery and the opportunity to become an American. After spending some time in Florida with her father, she sets out to see the country she has won.,, via Greyhound. This is a great story packed with experiences around the Lower 48 and all-too-vivid details of riding the bus. Along the way, she examines what America and being American are all about from a balanced, thoughtful perspective. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Thin Is the New Happy</b></i> by Valerie Frankel - This is a memoir I shouldn't have even bought. It's a total "chick book" about a lifetime of body image issues. Then I almost never read it.* But Frankel is a talented writer (she wrote 14 novels before this memoir), and I breezed through this entertaining though narcissistic book. <b>4 stars</b><br /><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Life Is a Wheel: Love, Death, Etc., and a Bike Ride Across America</i></b> by Bruce Weber - Ostensibly about a bike tour, this book is really more of a memoir than a travelogue. Throughout his journey, Weber delves into various aspects of his 57-year life past and present. After all, there is a lot of time for reflection on a solo bike trip. This isn't necessarily a great bicycle touring book, but it is excellent nonetheless.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b></div><div><br /></div><div>* <span style="font-size: x-small;">Much like Frankel and her body image, I have had a long and complicated relationship with this book. I bought it for $2 in the clearance section of Half Price Books (Minneapolis in 2010, IIRC). Several times I put it in my "read soon" pile, and once I even took it along on a trip but didn't read it. Eventually it lost favor and wound up in The Boxes, an attic exile for unread books that I doubt I will ever read (ultimately headed to <a href="http://www.open-books.org/" target="_blank">Open Books</a>, but perhaps not until I die). Then I bought Frankel's follow-up memoir a few months ago from BookOutlet.com (which was odd since I had previously examined&nbsp;and rejected it in a store, but this time it was a good deal—gee, how did I end up with so many books?). Several weeks ago I revisited The Boxes and fished out a few dozen books for another chance, replacing them with an equal number banished from the "unread" bookcase in our library (which also includes half a dozen stacks in front of the bookcase—I am awful). When I finished <i>Ticket to Ride</i>, I decided to choose one of the formerly exiled books and settled on this one.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0452288525&amp;asins=0452288525&amp;linkId=Q3TURRDGRGABC2SK&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1863255257&amp;asins=1863255257&amp;linkId=MR7ENFBWPWXJMTRC&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0312373937&amp;asins=0312373937&amp;linkId=6G4DJSQ36DRD5JWH&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1451695020&amp;asins=1451695020&amp;linkId=HNBHGCXLGB4ZAJX3&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe></div>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-78119166034621404062015-03-29T02:19:00.002-05:002015-03-29T02:24:33.267-05:002015 Books Part II<b><i>Mental: Funny in the Head</i></b> by Eddie Sarfaty - The author bounces along through funny episodes from his life, then he hits you with a poignant tale. Warning: Sarfaty is gay and there's some hot dude-on-dude action (in case that bothers you).&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>The Urban Hermit</b></i> by Sam MacDonald - This book wasn't what I expected. MacDonald isn't really a hermit, he just stops going to the bar. His diet is interesting but brutal. Overall the book has its moments, but it isn't great. <b>3 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong</b></i> by Juliet Macur - As a former fan of pro cycling, I've read many books about Armstrong from the hagiographic to the accusatory (six from this book's Selected Bibliography plus at least two more). <i>Cycle of Lies</i> is exceptional. If you want to know the whole story from childhood to scandal, this is the book to read (though Macur doesn't get into the blow-by-blow of the now-tainted races). Moral of the story: <i>If you are going to cheat, don't be a dick.</i> Armstrong burned too many people who knew too much. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Pornification </b></i>by Andrew Benjamin - Twenty years ago, I was at a bar with a couple of female friends who loved the X-rated movie title&nbsp;<i>Edward Penishands</i>&nbsp;(I don't recall whether they actually saw the film). They challenged me to pornify some movie titles. I remember they said <i>Pulp Fiction</i> and I replied with <i>Pump Friction</i>. <i>Pornification </i>is that game in book form. It's funny sometimes but for the most part I could have written it myself a long time ago if I thought enough people would buy it (in fact, <i>Pump Friction</i> appears on page 37). Maybe it's worthwhile if you find it cheap like I did.&nbsp;<b>2 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0758222556&amp;asins=0758222556&amp;linkId=6TNNPQGL6EWOIRUA&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B005DIARG6&amp;asins=B005DIARG6&amp;linkId=C3TTFSE7BC3CRCWZ&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0062277235&amp;asins=0062277235&amp;linkId=Y3DJPRNBJZVT2CGC&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0974043966&amp;asins=0974043966&amp;linkId=VOFIC4GN6KZ7JIRS&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-63519957369768492592015-03-08T22:25:00.000-05:002015-03-08T22:25:05.621-05:002015 Books Part I<i>Note: As in 2014, I am going to bundle these reviews in fours. Because the publisher gave me a free copy of </i>Popology<i>, I felt I should give it an <a href="http://blog.davidjohnsen.com/2015/03/popology-music-of-era-in-lives-of-four.html" target="_blank">entire post</a> of its own. Consider that the fourth book of this post.</i><br /><br /><i><b>The Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day</b></i> by David J. Hand - This book has turned me into a bit (more) of a killjoy. Now when people tell me about some amazing coincidence, I just shrug and say it's no big deal. Also I love the four aces cover design: not only do playing cards figure prominently in probability, but the author's name is <i>Hand</i>.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Little New York Bastard</b></i> by M. Dylan Raskin - I think I bought this because I read a bitter, judgmental excerpt in the store and thought it was funny. Unfortunately, the whole book is like that, and it gets old. Plus he hates on Chicago <i>a lot</i>. <b>2 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Mr. America: How Muscular Millionaire Bernarr Macfadden Transformed the Nation Through Sex, Salad, and the Ultimate Starvation Diet</b></i> by Mark Adams - I had never heard of Macfadden when I picked up this book. His life story is fascinating, and in it one can find the roots of so many popular health fads. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0374535000&amp;asins=0374535000&amp;linkId=EECIA5BDDNBXQ5JR&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1568582749&amp;asins=1568582749&amp;linkId=R43MGDXNPK5W4QM5&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe> &nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B005K6TWVC&amp;asins=B005K6TWVC&amp;linkId=3X77PQSY552GK6OU&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-28288886128384307462015-03-01T21:30:00.000-06:002015-03-01T21:32:55.962-06:00Popology: The Music of the Era in the Lives of Four Icons of the 1960s by Timothy English<i>Full disclosure: The publisher sent me a free copy of </i>Popology <i>because I reviewed a <a href="http://blog.davidjohnsen.com/2013/08/sounds-like-teen-spirit-stolen-melodies.html" target="_blank">previous title</a> by the author.</i><br /><br />In <i>Popology</i>, English writes about the musical tastes of John F. Kennedy; Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy; and Thomas Merton. This is a great time for a book like this. Had it been written 20 years ago, we wouldn't be able to follow along by listening to these songs on the Internet.<br /><br />The first chapter about JFK gets the book off to a slow start. He grew up with "American Songbook" tunes, so I couldn't relate. This chapter also exposes the book's biggest flaw: sloppy typographical errors. Composer&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rodgers" target="_blank">Richard Rodgers</a>, famous for co-writing songs for Broadway musicals with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, suffers the indignity of having his last name spelled three different ways!<br /><br />The Martin Luther King, Jr. chapter is a little more interesting, getting into what most people consider "the music of the 1960s" (the era beginning with the Beatles' arrival in America a few months after JFK's assassination). I was not aware of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Belafonte" target="_blank">Harry Belafonte's</a> financial and strategic contributions to the civil rights movement, nor did I know that his <i>Calypso </i>was the first million-selling LP by an individual singer.<br /><br />My favorite chapter, both musically and biographically, is about Bobby Kennedy. I didn't know a lot about him before, and now I can better understand how devastating his assassination was to many Americans.<br /><br />I had never heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton" target="_blank">Thomas Merton</a>. Even my mom hadn't, and I would expect her to know a prominent 1960s Catholic. Frankly, Merton's inclusion seems a bit forced by the author. His story is interesting and includes 1960s music, but his fame and impact are not on the level of the Kennedys and MLK.<br /><br />Overall, <i>Popology</i> is new way of looking at the music of the 1960s, and as such is a worthwhile read.<br /><br /><b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0692319697&amp;asins=0692319697&amp;linkId=4E4LRBH3YZ5IDVV6&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-82709524130268377882015-02-08T14:33:00.000-06:002015-02-08T14:33:56.806-06:00Bastard of the DayOnce again, newly minted <b>Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner</b>&nbsp;is the bastard of the day. In Wednesday's State of the State address, Rauner <a href="http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/7/71/343550/state-state-rauner-wants-hire-correctional-officers-spend-schools" target="_blank">looked</a> at our state's economic woes and said, "You know what's wrong with Illinois? Unions!" And then the bastard businessman dared to call his anti-union initiative "employee empowerment zones" as if the&nbsp;<i>employees </i>gain power from rejecting unions.<br /><br />Let the race to the bottom begin!<br /><br />Oh well, at least he didn't blame the Jews.David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-52156064722778854802015-02-06T00:49:00.000-06:002015-02-06T00:49:04.403-06:002014 Books Part XIX<i>Here is the 73rd and final book I read in 2014...</i><br /><br /><i><b>America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom</b></i>&nbsp;by Michael Ian Black and Megan McCain - A liberal and a conservative embark on a cross-country road trip to talk with Americans. Black is just okay. McCain is more complicated, veering from naive and obnoxious to thoughtful and poignant. They meet a few entertaining characters, but there isn't much substance here.&nbsp;<b>2 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0306821001&amp;asins=0306821001&amp;linkId=25CNYOGLYA3VCUJX&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></p><p></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-72351519906071281742015-01-31T22:49:00.000-06:002015-01-31T22:49:17.780-06:002014 Books Part XVIII<i>Yes, I'm still wrapping up last year...</i><br /><i><b><br /></b></i><i><b>Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola</b></i> by Mark Thomas - A friend who knows how much I love drinking Coca-Cola told me not to read this book. In the end it didn't really change how I feel about the stuff. I'm just too cynical; I think <i>all</i> multinational corporations are bastards. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones</b></i> by Bill Janovitz - This book kicked off a month-long Stones obsession for me. Janovitz offers a musician's perspective on classic Stones songs and puts them into the context of the band's history. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>50 Licks: Myths and Stories from Half a Century of the Rolling Stones</b></i> by Peter Fornatale with Bernard M. Corbett - Like <i>Rocks Off</i>, this book tells a chronological story of the band, but former DJ Fontanelle focuses more on tales than songs. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Life </i></b>by Keith Richards with James Fox - I have read a lot of rock memoirs, and <i>Life</i> is one of the very best. Richards has so many great stories, and some are augmented by remembrances from others.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B0035G02ZO&amp;asins=B0035G02ZO&amp;linkId=VDCIY2ZD6M25FUJW&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1250049520&amp;asins=1250049520&amp;linkId=RKOMV3WA6OKAE4DQ&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1608199215&amp;asins=1608199215&amp;linkId=DX3ZYKJJUR33G6MT&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=031603441X&amp;asins=031603441X&amp;linkId=PGPVGXQTVLIMW5GL&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-50651082275232544942015-01-24T16:42:00.001-06:002015-01-24T16:43:13.944-06:00Game Over<p dir="ltr">Spotted in&nbsp;an alley in Albany Park...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_d8FsRdqVGg/VMQfwWbLcYI/AAAAAAAAdz8/O_gWsAivj3Y/s1600/IMG_20150124_133250620_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_d8FsRdqVGg/VMQfwWbLcYI/AAAAAAAAdz8/O_gWsAivj3Y/s640/IMG_20150124_133250620_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-34390716417207306332015-01-19T15:33:00.001-06:002015-01-19T15:34:24.854-06:00WTF?<p dir="ltr">Went to ride my bike on the trainer today, and I had a flat tire! How did that happen?</p>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0Ravenswood Gardens, Chicago41.96474 -87.693855tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-69836832271651102242015-01-13T16:42:00.000-06:002015-01-13T16:42:58.183-06:00Bastard of the DayOkay, <b>Illinois Governor&nbsp;Bruce Rauner</b>, I gave you 24 hours. Now the honeymoon is over.&nbsp;You are <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/chi-rauner-says-hell-try-to-undo-some-of-quinns-lastminute-moves-20150113-story.html" target="_blank">already a bastard</a>:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">“It’s been clear that there has been some inappropriate decisions, either it’s with appointments or re-classifying employees, what we’re going to do is across the board cancel all appointments, we are going to cancel all hires, cancel all, rescind all, the actions that the governor has taken since Nov. 1,” Rauner said during his first news conference since taking the oath of office Monday.</blockquote>I hate to break it to you, Bruce, but you did <i>not </i>become governor when you won the election in November. You became governor <i>yesterday</i>. Former Governor Pat Quinn had every right to govern as he did during the intervening two months, and I'm sure you will govern similarly when your term ends (which can't come soon enough).David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-57367546874696622782014-12-28T01:46:00.000-06:002014-12-28T01:46:02.065-06:002014 Books Part XVII<b><i>A Field Guide to Sprawl</i></b> by Dolores Hayden - Definitions of common suburban/exurban sights/sites are illustrated by Jim Wark's aerial photographs. It's mildly interesting; I would have appreciated it more about 20 years ago (alas it was published only ten years ago). <b>3 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: A Slightly Tarnished Southern Belle's Words of Wisdom</i></b> by Celia Rivenbark - This is a decent collection of humorous essays about&nbsp;family life, celebrities, and southern culture. For a long time I thought her last name was <i>Riverbank</i>.&nbsp;<b>3 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong</i></b> by Jen Yates - Here is yet another book based on a blog I haven't read. Yates makes snarky comments about cake decoration mistakes.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Lab Fever: Living, Loving and Laughing with America's #1 Pet</i></b> by Bruce Cochran - These single-frame cartoons provide a spot-on portrayal of life with a Labrador retriever. Funny stuff. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0393731987&amp;asins=0393731987&amp;linkId=DBON7QCVFWEVOY2J&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0312339941&amp;asins=0312339941&amp;linkId=2KNMW6EAW3PNEIPC&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0740785370&amp;asins=0740785370&amp;linkId=IPGV532XZLO7ZP72&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1572232625&amp;asins=1572232625&amp;linkId=KZWJNOPDLQXYPOQO&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-42779930802927201122014-12-24T12:00:00.005-06:002014-12-24T12:00:59.645-06:002014 Books Part XVI<i><b>Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut</b></i>&nbsp;by Rob Sheffield - <i><a href="http://blog.davidjohnsen.com/2012/04/bc2012-love-is-mix-tape-by-rob.html" target="_blank">Love is a Mix Tape</a></i> was a good, pop-culturally-oriented memoir, but it was clouded by impending doom. Sheffield's second book is lighter and easier to enjoy, especially for someone familiar with 1980s music. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Kinky's Celebrity Files</i></b> by Kinky Friedman - In this quick read, the legendary Friedman writes about famous friends and their pets. And there are pictures, too. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse</i></b>&nbsp;by David Owen - Owen makes a convincing argument that we cannot solve the global warming problem with technology. Along the way, he dispenses with stupid eco-fads like the locavore movement.* <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley &amp; the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"</i></b>&nbsp;by Alan Light - "Hallelujah" has taken on a life of its own. Light writes about songwriter Cohen, performer Buckley, and countless interpretations of the song by other artists. He also examines how this sort-of-religious song has become popular in an increasingly secular culture and how the emotions it evokes as a soundtrack have changed over the years. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br />* <span style="font-size: x-small;">The goal is to reduce energy use, but transportation is only a small portion of the energy cost of food. Therefore it is better to grow food in the most resource-efficient location rather than merely the closest. (Of course, some locavores may have other objectives, such as supporting the local economy.)</span><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0452297230&amp;asins=0452297230&amp;linkId=AFQI2Q6TZAD5ZMCR&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1416592784&amp;asins=1416592784&amp;linkId=LTYOROAG6XHMLF45&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1594485615&amp;asins=1594485615&amp;linkId=FHAQ7546XVHBCU2P&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1451657846&amp;asins=1451657846&amp;linkId=ATIOF3FBEHDCABKA&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-11692427499808157102014-11-30T22:14:00.001-06:002014-11-30T22:19:47.356-06:002014 Books Part XV<b><i>Balsamic Dreams: A Short but Self-Important History of the Baby Boomer Generation</i></b> by Joe Queenan - I have enjoyed several of Queenan's books. Here he skewers my parents' (and his own) generation with the insight, humor, and broad vocabulary that I've come to expect.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars</i></b> by Paul Ingrassia - I don't think the subtitle fits the book very well, but the car stories are really interesting. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Deadlift Dynamite: How to Master the King of All Strength Exercises</i></b> by Andy Bolton and Pavel&nbsp;Tsatsouline - Like most Dragon Door publications, Deadlift Dynamite is beautifully produced and informative. It would have been more useful a few years ago when I was really into barbell deadlifting (now I mostly do DVRT sandbag training), and its target audience is competitors who take this stuff way more seriously than I do, but it's top-notch as far as weightlifting books go.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Wrong: Why Experts Keep Failing Us—And How to Know When Not to Trust Them</i></b> by David H. Freedman - I got halfway through this book and realized it's similar to <i><a href="http://blog.davidjohnsen.com/2014/05/2014-books-part-ii.html" target="_blank">The Half-Life of Facts</a></i> with a different perspective: instead of looking at how information "changes" over time, Freedman explains how much of it was never true in the first place. He also offers ways to sort the good from the bad, but after reading this I just find myself more skeptical of <i>everything </i>(which is saying something).&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=031242082X&amp;asins=031242082X&amp;linkId=YPGCVQYTQ5D3HRFJ&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1451640641&amp;asins=1451640641&amp;linkId=PMYH7HXMJN4YNJZ4&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0938045822&amp;asins=0938045822&amp;linkId=GVYYIL2GWZMPB27E&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B005DI6QAM&amp;asins=B005DI6QAM&amp;linkId=W6K3EYFTVVJNVZGD&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-28830927719240675722014-10-30T20:53:00.001-05:002014-10-30T20:59:31.375-05:00Halloween Authenticity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">I went down to the basement to fetch our candy bowl for Halloween:</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hMU0h9V4aQo/VFLrfN88_vI/AAAAAAAAdfA/Pp2u0A-JTtg/s1600/IMG_20141030_205046_696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hMU0h9V4aQo/VFLrfN88_vI/AAAAAAAAdfA/Pp2u0A-JTtg/s400/IMG_20141030_205046_696.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: start;">Look what I found inside:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ENR1jiFMld4/VFLrhhnwTcI/AAAAAAAAdfI/bDjBWh-F6BA/s1600/IMG_20141030_204937_223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ENR1jiFMld4/VFLrhhnwTcI/AAAAAAAAdfI/bDjBWh-F6BA/s400/IMG_20141030_204937_223.jpg" /> </a> </div>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-40438168583306163372014-10-28T22:51:00.000-05:002014-10-28T22:56:32.055-05:00Early VotingI would be first in line to vote early if it meant I wouldn't have to see any more damned political commercials or listen to the answering machine pick up another damned robocall.<br /><br />Today during a TV show there was a commercial break where every single advertisement was for politicians, one after another. Please, somebody try to sell me auto insurance instead! For the first time in my life, I wished I could see a Massengill commercial.<br /><br />Why, yes, Illinois politics <i>does </i>make me <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-To0CNnDY" target="_blank">feel, you know,&nbsp;not-so-fresh</a>.David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-78185344739876703052014-10-26T21:11:00.001-05:002014-10-29T00:32:39.959-05:002014 Books Part XIV<b><i>Who's Better, Who's Best in Football? Setting the Record Straight on the Top 60 NFL Players of the Past 60 Years</i></b> by Steve Silverman - Ranking the greatest football players is a fool's errand for many reasons, but Silverman's choices probably aren't any worse than anyone else's.&nbsp;I learned a few things from the four or five pages of biographical and statistical evidence he gives for each player. This book is a bit dated, but an update with 65 players of the past 65 years is coming out in early November (which I'm linking to below instead of the edition I read). <b>3 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike</i></b> by Grant Peterson - Wow, this may be the best bicycling book I've ever read!&nbsp;American recreational bicycling has become unnecessarily complicated by companies drawing their primary inspiration from professional racing. Actually it's getting better; when I got back into riding in 2000 it was much worse. Anyway, Peterson cuts through a lot of the bullshit with great advice about everything bike-related. Had he written this 15 years ago, he could have saved me a lot of money.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive</i></b> by Laurie Notaro - I didn't enjoy this quite as much as her first two books, but it's still mostly funny. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Chasing the Rising Sun: The Journey of an American Song</i></b> by Ted Anthony - I didn't expect an entire book about "House of the Rising Sun" to be so riveting.&nbsp;I love the idea of how Anthony became obsessed with one song and spent years tracking down recordings and interviewing performers.&nbsp;It's a great case study of how folk music evolves. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1613217269&amp;asins=1613217269&amp;linkId=QNY5E4P6EZUMLIQP&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0761155589&amp;asins=0761155589&amp;linkId=D47ZF4BXLKDMFETU&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0812969014&amp;asins=0812969014&amp;linkId=3YFK4SLVLFIPDD6H&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B000QRIHAC&amp;asins=B000QRIHAC&amp;linkId=LRZDUDOTQXGLUZ6Q&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-34718282373629496522014-10-20T16:30:00.001-05:002014-10-29T00:32:56.245-05:002014 Books Part XIII<b><i>Because I Said So! The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales &amp; Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to its Kids</i></b> by Ken Jennings - This may be the only book I've ever read that can be found in the parenting section (though I found it in new arrivals). Writing in an enjoyable style, Jennings looks at scientific research to determine which parental sayings or scoldings have merit. I also bought a copy for a friend who just had a baby. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Visit Sunny Chernobyl and Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places</i></b> by Andrew Blackwell - Anybody can enjoy a lovely beach, a lush meadow, or a waterfall on a clear mountain stream, but fewer can find beauty in exploited tar sands, a clear-cut Amazon forest, or a river of human waste. Blackwell takes us to places I'd rather not go myself, which is the best kind of travel book.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>I Never Met a Story I Didn't Like: Mostly True Tall Tales</i></b> by Todd Snider - Anyone familiar with Snider's music knows he is a great storyteller and a funny guy. This book doesn't disappoint. The backstories of his songs are as good as the songs themselves. <b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><b><i>Northern Songs: The True Story of the Beatles' Song Publishing Empire</i></b> by Brian Southall with Rupert Perry - Had this book been about any other songwriter(s), it probably would have bored me to tears. Being about the Beatles makes it more interesting, but <i>Northern Songs</i>&nbsp;isn't something most people outside the music business would enjoy reading. Also it seems like the authors rushed the last few chapters, or maybe the copyeditor quit early.&nbsp;<b>4 stars</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1476706964&amp;asins=1476706964&amp;linkId=VBWABFJAVGYKWBA4&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1623360269&amp;asins=1623360269&amp;linkId=PF3YUNYTBKF3657J&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0306822601&amp;asins=0306822601&amp;linkId=6N27AOQ5VTRTZXUH&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=184609996X&amp;asins=184609996X&amp;linkId=BXUT5HIXJWANB2HY&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-77351500710420329192014-09-27T23:57:00.000-05:002014-10-29T00:33:10.307-05:002014 Books Part XII<b><i>A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest</i></b> by William deBuys - As regular visitors know, water scarcity is one of my favorite reading topics. This is the most comprehensive book I've found about water and/or climate in the Southwest. deBuys examines impacts on all facets in the region from development/growth to flora and fauna to immigration to fires, as well as looking at past civilizations. It should be required reading for every resident of the Southwest.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Crashes, Crises, and Calamities: How We Can Use Science to Read the Early-Warning Signs</b></i> by Len Fisher - To be honest it's been a few weeks since I finished it and I don't remember much, just that it's interesting and has an incredible notes-to-content ratio: 47 pages of endnotes supporting 170 pages of text.&nbsp;<b>3 stars*</b><br /><br /><i><b>An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church's Strangest Relic in Italy's Oddest Town</b></i> by David Farley - &nbsp;I learned more about holy relics, particularly Jesus' foreskin, in this book than I had learned in decades of being Catholic. You may think you don't want to know about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Prepuce" target="_blank">Holy Prepuce</a>, but after reading this book, you'll realize you were wrong. Very entertaining and informative with a quirky cast of real-life characters. <b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><i><b>Miles from Nowhere: Tales from America's Contemporary Frontier</b></i> by Dayton Duncan - Roughly 25 years ago I read Duncan's first book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140083626/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0140083626&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bikingillinoi-20&amp;linkId=K7NISLBPP6MHNPR7">Out West: An American Journey Along the Lewis and Clark Trail</a></i>. The only thing I remember is that I liked it.** In this book, Duncan visits counties with fewer than two residents per square mile (all of which are west of the Mississippi River). By definition, this is a world most of us are unfamiliar with, and it's fascinating. My only regret is that the book is from 1993; I'm curious what impact the Internet has had there.&nbsp;<b>5 stars</b><br /><br /><br />* <span style="font-size: x-small;">I had given it four stars at the time I read it, but I decided to take one away since it has faded from memory so quickly. I think a four- or five-star book should stay with you for a while.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>**<span style="font-size: x-small;"> But I'd still give <i>Out West</i> five stars. It's okay to forget a book in a quarter of a century.</span><br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0199974675&amp;asins=0199974675&amp;linkId=RIN2TDUOLNT366XB&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0465021026&amp;asins=0465021026&amp;linkId=LGK55IUO25STUWUB&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp;&nbsp;<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B0048BPEH6&amp;asins=B0048BPEH6&amp;linkId=2DUHCL5JSGLKM3X4&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>&nbsp; <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=davidjohcom-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0670831956&amp;asins=0670831956&amp;linkId=AQ5RJVAEMN2OV6WB&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8104253.post-80151798106518755122014-09-08T23:06:00.001-05:002014-09-08T23:06:25.797-05:00Casey Trail View<p dir=ltr>Here's a picture I took along the Casey Trail today because I'm a lifelong Illinoisan who thinks prairies are pretty.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WamUdwsXOow/VA58v-r1ErI/AAAAAAAARMg/lweR_x56jd8/s1600/IMG_20140908_152227_836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WamUdwsXOow/VA58v-r1ErI/AAAAAAAARMg/lweR_x56jd8/s400/IMG_20140908_152227_836.jpg"> </a> </div>David Johnsennoreply@blogger.com0